Botany; Geotropism; Plants -- Irritability and movements
occurred within 24 h., but it was often conspicuous within a much
shorter period. For instance, the terminal growing part of one radicle
was bent upwards into a rectangle in 8 h. 15 m., and of another in 9 h.
On one occasion a hook was formed in 9 h. Six of the radicles in a jar
containing nine seeds, which stood on a sand-bath, raised to a
temperature varying from 76° to 82° F., became hooked, and a seventh
formed a complete loop, when first looked at after 15 hours.
The accompanying figures of four germinating seeds (Fig. 69) show,
firstly, a radicle (A) the apex of which has become so much bent away
from the attached square as to form a hook. Secondly (B), a hook
converted through the continued irritation of the card, aided perhaps
by geotropism, into an almost complete circle or loop. The tip in the
act of forming a loop generally rubs against the upper part of the
radicle, and pushes off the attached square; the loop then contracts or
closes, but never disappears; and the apex afterwards grows vertically
downwards, being no longer irritated by any attached object. This
frequently occurred, and is represented at C. The jar above mentioned
with the six hooked radicles and another jar were kept for two
additional days, for the sake of observing how the hooks would be
modified. Most of them became converted into simple loops, like that
figured at C; but in one case the apex did not rub against the upper
part of the radicle and thus remove the card; and it consequently made,
owing
to the continued irritation from the card, two complete loops, that is,
a helix of two spires; which afterwards became pressed closely
together. Then geotropism prevailed and caused the apex to grow
perpendicularly downwards. In another case, shown at (D), the apex in
making a second turn or spire, passed through the first loop, which was
at first widely open, and in doing so knocked off the card; it then
grew perpendicularly downwards, and thus tied itself into a knot, which
soon became tight!
Fig. 69. Zea mays: radicles excited to bend away from the little
squares of card attached to one side of their tips.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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